Marilyn Specht Thomas
Marilyn Specht Thomas was born in Duluth, Minnesota on May 2, 1950, the second of three children to Mervin and Helvi Specht. She attended the College of St. Scholastica, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1974.
After college, Marilyn moved to Santa Barbara, California with her future husband, James (Jim) Thomas. There, she began a forty-year career in nursing at Cottage Hospital. Drawn to the profession by a deep sense of selflessness and kindness, Marilyn found nursing to be a calling that allowed her to care for and touch the lives of countless patients, families, and colleagues.
Jim and Marilyn were married in 1979 and raised two daughters, Lauren, born in 1981, and Chloe, born in 1986. During their daughters’ school years, Marilyn was an active volunteer at Marymount School, always present and engaged in their education and community.
In 2014, following her separation, Marilyn returned to Duluth and spent the remainder of her life there. She deeply loved Duluth and Lake Superior brought her great joy. She could often be seen standing on her balcony overlooking the lake, accompanied by her beloved mannequin, waving to passengers on the North Shore Scenic Railroad. This small but unmistakably Marilyn gesture brought smiles to many.
Marilyn had a love of kitsch, an appreciation for nature, and a quiet creative side expressed through poetry. She had a distinctive sense of style, rarely seen without one of her many hats. She was also a devoted lover of dogs and cherished her three Boston Terriers.
Marilyn loved to communicate through handwritten notes and cards. She kept a card rack in her home and rarely let an occasion pass without sending a thoughtful message to her beloved friends and family. She will be remembered for her kindness, her humor, her thoughtfulness, and the many ways she showed care for others throughout her life
Marilyn passed away peacefully on December 12, 2025, surrounded by family, after a battle with esophageal cancer. Marilyn is survived by her daughters, Lauren Thomas and Chloe Thomas; her son-in-law, Drew Behnke; and her grandson, Roan Behnke. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Mercy Ships or the ASPCA, two organizations important to Marilyn.
